Dietary fiber is considered to be the soluble and insoluble components of food that are not digested by enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract. The primary sources of dietary fiber include such cell wall materials as cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin and pectins, along with gums and mucilages. Dietary fiber has been considered an important food component since early times. Recently, Burkitt et al. [Lancet 2: 1408-11411 (1972)] concluded that dietary fiber has a role in the prevention of certain large-intestine diseases, including cancer of the colon and diverticulitis. Diets containing large amounts of dietary fiber lead to stools that are softer and larger, and bowel movements are generally more frequent. Burkitt also mentioned that the serum cholesterol rises when dietary fiber is removed from the diet, and that eating a fiber-rich diet lowers serum cholesterol. Trowell [Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 25: 4644-465 (1972)] reached a similar conclusion regarding the relationship between fiber and health benefits.
It is now known that all dietary fiber is not the same and that different fibers provide different health benefits. For example, wheat bran is very rich in insoluble dietary fiber (mainly cellulose and hemicelluloses) and is excellent for decreasing the transit time of food through the digestive tract [Anderson et al., Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 32: 346-363 (1979)]. Some fibers are reported to reduce total plasma cholesterol [Munoz et al., Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 32: 580-592 (1979)].
This invention relates to a novel food composition from a cereal flour that provides soluble fiber useful as a functionally and nutritionally advantageous ingredient for a variety of food products.